Apparatus for effecting the sterilization of water by ozonation.



E. L. JOSEPH. APPARATUS FOR EFPBOTING THE STERILIZATION OF WATER BYOZONATION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1909.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Iiveni'o r m Jr wiinfisses:

EDWARD LIONEL JOSEPH, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE STERILIZATION OF WATER BY OZONATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Application filed November 24, 1909. Serial N 0. 529,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD LIONEL Jo- SEPH, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and resident of 96 Victoria street, in thecity ofWestminster, London, England, managing director, have invented ImprovedApparatus for Efi'ecting the Sterilization of Water by Ozonation, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to improved apparatus for the continuoussterilization of Water by ozonation, the apparatus being designed toenable the operation to be effected more thoroughly and at same timemore economically than has heretofore been practicable. To this end theapparatus is so constructed that the water is first atomized in presenceof an ascending stream of the sterilizing agent within the upper portionof a vessel, then allowed to fall upon a pile of inert matter in acoarsely but symmetrically granular state occupying the middle portionof the vessel (the water being thereby spread out into thin films) andfinally allowed to fall into a tank forming the bottom portion of thevessel through which the ozone is forced upward in fine jets.

Theapparatus will be described with reference to the accompanyingdiagrammatic drawing, which shows the principal part of the apparatus invertical section.

The apparatus may be said to consist of a modified form of Gay Lussactower which is preferably circular in horizontal section and may beconstructed either of galvanized steel or other metal plates properlyprotected from the action of the sterilizing agent, or of other material(such as concrete or brickwork) not liable to be acted upon by thegaseous agent. The tower comprises three main sections A, B and C. Theupper section A is furnished with the atomizing apparatus comprising anevenly distributed series of spraying nozzles (Z through which thewater, led from a main pipe D, is forced either by gravity or pumping.The middle section B, which has a suitably apertured or foraminousbottom 1), contains a pile E of glass balls, pebbles, or other inertmatter in a coarsely but symmetrically granular state; spherical glassballs of uniform size being preferred on account of the readiness withwhich both the surface area thus exposed, and also the intersticialcapacity of the pile, can be adjusted in accordance with any desiredrate of flow of both liquid and gas. The lower section C constitutes atank, and is provided (preferably near the bottom) with an evenlydistributed series of blowing nozzles connected by a pipe F with thesource H of the sterilizing agent, the gas being admitted through thenozzles beneath the surface of the water in the tank.

The tank C is made of a capacity suitably proportioned to the rate offlow, and is pro vided with a siphon overflow so arranged that all partsof the liquid undergo equal treatment and are exposed to the action ofthe gaseous agent during a predetermined length of time. For thispurpose the bot tom, 0 of the tank may be in the shape of an invertedcone, the siphon overflow pipe Gr leading from the apex of the coneupwardto a point on a level with that which-the water is required tomaintain within the tank, as indicated at 9. Or the overflow pipe mightbe fed through an evenly distributed series of apertures within thetank.

For the purpose of producing ozonizcd air, any suitable apparatus may beemployed, a generally convenient form being that for which BritishLetters Patent No. 7836 of 1907 were previously granted.

The source H of the ozenizing agent is connected by a pipe J with theupper part of the uppermost section A of the tower as indicated, thepipe J being provided in its course with a sudden enlargement as at sothat any free moisture carried upward by the ascending current of gaswillbe separated from the latter, while the gas may be caused tocirculate at a constant rate of How in an upward direction through thetower, the current of gas being evenly distributed over thecross-sectional area of each section A, B and C. The liquid whichaccumulates in the chamber 0 may be returned periodically to anysuitable point in the tower A, B, C for example, through a pipe such asP, under the control of a stop-valve as indicated at p.

The sterilizing agent before entering the ozonizing apparatus H ispreferably caused to pass through suitable drying apparatus as at K, thesame procedure being followed each time the current of air is made tocirculate through the apparatus. The necessary air pressure may beobtained by means of a blower of any suitable kind interposed as at M inthe course of the pipe J, while an automatically acting valvem would beprovided on the pipe J for the purpose of admitting fresh air to replacethe amount absorbed by the water. The air admitted at m should passthrough filtering or cleaning apparatus as at L on its way to the 1pe pIf desired the sterilizing agent may be suitably cooled as at N beforebeing introduced into the tower.

The water after leaving the tower by the pipe Gr may be caused to passover riflies or the like so as, by thorough exposure to the atmosphere,to be made to give up any of the gaseous sterilizing agent which it hadabsorbed.

Means may be provided for insuring that in the event of failure of thesupply of sterilizing agent, the water shall be automatically cut ofifrom the apparatus and an alarm given.

In working the apparatus, assuming a; body of unsterilized water to becontained" in tank C, operations are commenced by treating this body ofwater before any further quantity of water is admitted to the vessel.Hence the supply through nozzles d is cut ofi'and the valve 7' on pipe Jis opened and the ozonizing apparatus H is set to work, the result beingthat the gaseous agent is caused to circulate continuously from H upwardthrough the sections C B A of the tower and returned by pipe J and pumpM to the inlet of the ozonlzing apparatus H. This action (which permitsof the ozonation of the water in tank C beingv effected very much morerapidly than would be possible if the ozonizing agent after once passingthrough tank 0 were permitted to escape) having been maintained untilthe sterilization of the body of water in tank C has been accomplished,water is admitted through pipe D to the atomizing nozzles d, the valve jis closed and the valve 9 on the water delivery pipe G is opened. Whenthis has been done the apparatus is in its normal working condition,that is to say the water which is admitted at the top of the tower and,after passing through the latter, passes oif through the delivery pipeG, absorbs the gaseous agent introduced from H, any organisms which, inpassing with the water through the upper portion or portions of thetower, have not succumbed to the action of the ascending andprogressively weak-. ened stream of sterilizing agent being de stroyedon encountering the ireshly introduced sterilizing medium at the lowerpart of the tower.

Claim:

An apparatus for effecting the sterilization of water by ozonationcomprising a ,tower, a pile of coarse but symmetrically granularmaterial therein, a water inlet at the top of said tower arranged todistribute water over said pile of material, an inlet for thesterilization agent at the bottom of saidtower provided with a series ofupwardly directed nozzles, a pressure creating device connected withsaid sterilizing a ent inlet, a pipe connected with the inlet 0? saidpressure creating device and with the upper end of said tower, said pipebeing provided with an expanslon chamber, a drier'in said pipe betweensaid expansion chamber and said pressure creating device, an air inletconnected with said pipe, a check valve controlling said air inlet, andan air filter in said air inlet beyond said valve.

' EDWARD LIONEL JOSEPH. Witnesses:

F. L. RAND, A. NUTTING.

